I understand what you're saying, but I still fail to see how all of this translates into not being a team player. That really has nothing to do with this at all. If the interviewer still wants a solution based on the facts as they lay on the table, he can always ask again. The first is answer is still the best answer in my opinion, because it is much closer to a real-world situation and it shows a deeper contextual understanding of situation. It also implies experience.
Anyone can repeat someone on StackOverflow who says that function X really is faster than function Y. That's hardly an accomplishment. It's like asking someone to perform a basic non-trivial calculation out of his head -- why bother?
Anyone can repeat someone on StackOverflow who says that function X really is faster than function Y. That's hardly an accomplishment. It's like asking someone to perform a basic non-trivial calculation out of his head -- why bother?